Swimming Lessons
by RhiannonWolf
Summary: "Won't you come swim with me ?" Cross-posted on Ao3 under TheGreyMage14, rated T for Kanda's mouth and the realization that merpeople have no concept of undergarments.
1. Chapter 1

Cross-posted on Ao3 under the name TheGreyMage14

I never write silly fluff so I thought I would give it a try. This is the result of that attempt, I hope you enjoy it. :)

XXX

The day had been wonderfully fair, with blue skies, a good breeze and bright sunshine. It was the sort of day where one was content to lay on a grassy area and watch the clouds lazily go by. A day without cares or worries.

"Won't you come swim with me~?"

He was flawless.

Hair whiter than the foam on the sea, alluring silver, moon like eyes, a voice soft enough to soothe the loneliest of hearts.

He was incredible. Pristine. Stunning.

And Lavi was also sure he was going to kill him.

He had decided to sneak away from Bookman that day, to take a break from the constant studying and cataloguing. Lavi was sure that if he had stayed much longer, his head would have exploded.

Lavi had been standing at the edge of a rocky outcropping, thinking how good the sea breeze felt, when the mythical creature appeared in the water. Lavi got over his initial shock surprisingly fast, given how he had never encountered a mythical creature before. However, he had quite an expansive knowledge, so he knew a couple of things about mythical creatures. One of them being that merpeople were not to be trusted, as they liked to drown their unsuspecting victims before eating them.

He was still there, smiling at him with teeth that were too sharp, and a smile that was too innocent.

Lavi shook himself free of that silver stare.

"...I can't swim."

"Well then silly boy, I shall teach you~"

Lavi chuckled and sat down, away from the edge. He wasn't stupid after all. "Really?"

"Why yes of course!"

"And what will happen after this swimming lesson?"

He pulled herself onto the rock so his arms were resting on it. "What would you like to happen~?"

"I'd like to come out of it alive, if I'm honest."

The creature put his hand over his chest, acting affronted. "You think that I would dare to drown you?"

"I do indeed." Lavi smiled. "So I'll say no to the swimming lesson."

He frowned. "...Then I don't need to be here any longer. Goodbye little human."

"It's Lavi."

This time, a true wave of surprise washed over his face. "What?"

"My name. It's Lavi." He repeated, then shrugged. "It's not everyday I meet someone like you."

The creature looked at him in puzzlement. "...Why would you tell me? Names hold power you know."

Lavi twitched a bit. "Ah...yeah. Yeah I knew that."

"Did you now?"

"...I may have momentarily forgotten." Lavi admitted.

"Of course you did..."

"Yep...can I know your name?"

"Why should I tell you my name?"

"Well it's courteous you know, since I told you mine."

The creature looked him up and down. "...You're strange."

"Have you noticed that you have _a tail_?"

"Far too strange for me. Goodbye little human." he said as he pushed away from the rock.

"So no name then?" Lavi asked with a grin.

The merman looked at him, his lips slightly quirking up at the corner. "Not today, perhaps tomorrow."

"Then I'll see you again?"

"You sound strangely excited." the merman said.

Lavi shrugged. "It's not everyday I meet someone like you. I can't help it if I'm intrigued."

"You aren't afraid I'll drown you~?"

"I figure that as long as I stay out of arm's reach, I should be safe." Lavi said with a wink. Or it might have been just a blink. It was hard to tell with an eye patch.

The merman looked amused. "Well if you want to see me again, I would advise watching the water." He then slipped beneath the waves.

Lavi stood there and watched the water, remaining there long after the mythical creature had disappeared.

XXX

I know it was short but there is more on the way, I promise. Feel free to leave a review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Lavi had escaped from Bookman yet again the next time he saw the mysterious merman.

It was much later in the day, as the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. There were clouds to the east that promised heavy rain, but Lavi wasn't ready to go back just yet. He was having a wonderful walk along the beach when he spotted him.

At first he thought it was a beached dolphin, but as he drew closer he could see what it truly was.

Thankfully there was no one else near the beach as he approached; that could have caused a few problems that Lavi was more than happy to avoid.

"You look like you're in a tight spot." Lavi said with a smile.

The merman whirled his head around and frowned. "Oh it's you...and no I'm not."

"Really? Because you look beached."

"...I'm enjoying the sand."

"Who enjoys sand?"

"...Good point." the merman sighed in aggravation. He drew a spiral in the sand with his forefinger before speaking again. "Alright, I might be in a bit of a spot."

Lavi paused before saying anything. He didn't look nearly as dangerous as he had before, due to being stuck on land, but Lavi was no fool, contrary to popular belief. "Do you want help?"

"No, I can manage just fine." came the irritated reply. A small shell was tossed towards the surf, but landed about a foot away, causing the merman to scowl again. He huffed and tossed another one.

"Are you sure?" Lavi asked, plopping down on the sand next to him. The last time they had met, he hadn't gotten to see the merman's tail. It was long, nearly twice the length of his torso, with silvery white, iridescent scales that shone brightly in the dying sunlight. The tail ended in to fins, much like an ordinary fish tail, and they were slightly transparent. There were two more, smaller fins on either side of his tail, about where his knees would have been, were he human. Even in the little light that was left, Lavi could see some scars along the tail. It made him wonder just what went on below the choppy waves...

The merman sighed again and laid back on the sand, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared up at the sky before answering. "...I might need a push."

Lavi smiled. "Sure. How did you get on the beach anyways?"

"Ah, I was being chased by a shark and I beached myself on accident." the merman explained, obviously not happy at all about his current situation.

"A shark?" Lavi repeated. "Sounds dangerous."

"I can outswim most of them, this one just caught me on a bad day." the merman said. "They're usually not a problem and lose interest pretty quickly if something easier swims by."

"But this one didn't leave you alone I see." Lavi summarised. "So are there any more of you?"

"I thought you were going to help me back in the water?"

"I can't help that I'm curious!" Lavi smiled sheepishly. "It's in my nature."

The merman rolled his eyes, but there was a certain fondness to his expression. "Rotten human...I suppose I can humor you until you decide you're through."

"Hey now, you make me sound like I'm holding you against your will."

A chuckle escaped that mouth full of sharp, sharp teeth. "To answer your question, yes. But I'm the only one around for miles."

Lavi's smile faded a little. "Isn't that lonely?"

"No." the answer was too quick, too fast. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't you want someone to talk to?"

The merman stretched his arms above his head. "Maybe I'm not a social sort of creature."

Somehow Lavi doubted that. The sun was well below the horizon at that point, and the stars were beginning to shine.

"...Will you tell me your name?"

The merman looked at him. "...Allen."

Lavi raised an eyebrow. "Allen? That doesn't sound like a merperson name."

"And what is?" Allen asked, the slightest hint of a smirk on his features.

"...Point taken." Lavi mumbled, looking out at the waves. "Well Allen, it's late and I should head back, so I guess I should help you back into the water now."

Allen's smile turned sheepish. "That would be much appreciated, thanks."

With that, Lavi stood up and hooked his arms beneath Allen's to haul him up. "Um...how should I-"

"Just take me further into the surf, I'll be able to do it myself then." Allen replied.

Lavi was mourning the loss of his dry shoes as he took Allen further into the water. It was halfway up his shins when Allen finally wriggled free of his grasp and splashed down. He was then able to make his way to deeper water, but he turned around before leaving.

"I'm guessing we'll see each other again?" he asked.

Lavi smiled. "Do you want to?"

He got a wink in response, and then the merman was gone.

Lavi quickly made his way out of the water before his pants got any more soaked than they already were. He needed to get back to Bookman, since it was already past the time he said he'd be back. As he walked back home, his mind drifted back to the gorgeous merman named Allen. It started to rain, but he paid it little heed as his mind was filled with images of iridescent scales and soft looking lips…lips? Lavi stopped walking and shook his head. Why was he thinking of lips? That was certainly strange…and yet he couldn't get the image out of his head. Curse his incredible memory.

XXX

Thanks for reading! I know it was short, but more is on the way. :) Feel free to leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

What Allen had said was true. He wasn't a social sort of creature, but that didn't mean he didn't have friends.

"So I dunno, he's nice and actually kinda cute...but maybe we're just too different." Allen said, resting on a rock that jutted out of the water. He tail moved lazily and the sea breeze gently played with his white hair. He turned his head to his companion. "What do you think Timcanpy?"

The seagull preened its feathers.

Allen sighed and plucked a small crab from the rock. "I do want to see him again though...he's pretty interesting...I wonder how he got that eyepatch. He doesn't seem like a pirate…"

Time squawked.

"Yes yes, Tim, I know." Allen replied, tossing him the crab. Tim caught the crab in his beak. "But really, what do you think?"

He didn't get an answer as the seagull was too busy cracking the shell of the small crab.

Allen looked towards the shore, a good couple miles away. "I've seen him a couple times now, but I don't think he saw me."

"_Squaaawk!"_

"Oh please, I am not stalking him." Allen rolled his eyes. "I just happen to be in the same part of the beach."

"_Squawk." _Even though the seagull was incapable of making expressions, Allen still felt like he was getting _the look_.

"I am not! I can't even leave the water!" he huffed. "You're supposed to give me helpful advice, not call me out on things."

"_Squaaaawk."_

"Tim that just doesn't make sense." Allen sighed. "I want to...but I don't even know what we would do. Talk about the weather? Oh hey there Lavi, how are you? How's the weather? Yeah that sunshine sure is something! And have you seen the morning tide!?"

"_Squawk!"_

"See that's the problem, it's just not interesting...I have nothing to talk about. He doesn't want to hear about crabs and fish and the seaweed that got wrapped around my tail this morning." Allen groaned in frustration. "I've never felt so boring."

"_Squaaaawk! Squawk!" _Timcanpy ruffled his tail feathers.

Allen looked at Timcanpy in surprise. "Do what now?"

"_Squawk!"_

Allen groaned. "I mean...that's an interesting plan...but I have a feeling it would somehow end with me on display."

"_Squawk!"_

"Oh you'll watch me? Thanks, you're so comforting." he breathed out through his nose and looked over towards the far away cliffs. "It's not too easy over there...but I do want to see him again...oh fine! Fine I'll do it, I'll go see her." he looked at the seagull. "You better be right about this."

"_Squaaawk~"_

XXX

Timcanpy the seagull was really the only creature that Allen spoke to on a regular basis. But he wasn't the only one who Allen spoke to.

"I hate these cliffs!" Allen yelled underwater as the surf tossed him around like a piece of seaweed. He fumbled around at the bottom, grabbing a couple rocks and shells for ammo before the water could drag him away again.

The cliffs were among the smaller kind; the largest on this side of the shore were only about 30 feet high. The smallest was about 15 feet. Allen himself could only jump out of the water about the same height, much like a dolphin. Once he had a small handful of things to throw, he swam towards the shorter cliffs. He went out a ways, then sped through the water and launched himself through the air, flinging a pebble at the wooden house that was located possibly a little too close to the cliff. It hit the window with a _crack_, but Allen fell before he could see if the occupant was there. His landing in the water was a little haphazard, and he nearly crashed against a boulder beneath the surface.

He repeated this until he was out of things to throw, and then he got another handful. After throwing the third rock from the second handful, he finally got a response.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!"

Allen launched himself up again, catching a glimpse of blonde hair. "Meet me!"

"NO!"

"Meet me!"

"GO AWAY I'M BUSY!"

Allen flung himself up in such a way that he was sideways in the air. "It's important!"

"...FINE!"

Allen grinned and swam towards the small beach near the cliffs. Getting a meeting with the witch was always an adventure in itself, and didn't happen very often.

He ended up having to wait for about ten minutes until she finally showed herself, irritated as ever.

"Ah, you've finally arrived." Allen grinned. "Nice day, isn't it Eden?"

The witch rolled her olive green eyes, heavy with black eyeliner. "Just make it quick, I was working on something."

Allen had only known Eden for about two years; they had met when a wave had somehow washed him into her small fishing boat.

"Alright then. I need legs."

Eden just stared at him. "...What."

"Legs, like yours." Allen repeated.

Eden just looked down at her bare feet, nearly hidden beneath a floor-length blood red skirt. She then glanced back up at him. "...Why?"

Allen cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well...see the thing is…"

"Eden!"

Allen immediately ducked behind a boulder as the witch spun around.

Eden blushed. A lot. "H-hey Lenalee!" she said clumsily.

The pretty girl approached her, a small wicker basket in hand with what looked like lavender inside. "I've been looking for you!"

"You have?" Eden wondered if she sounded too hopeful.

"Of course! I mean, I never really got to thank you for the medicine you gave me." she smiled, and it made poor Eden's heart skip. "Brother is doing so much better now."

"I-I'm glad it worked for you. Him. Both of you." she fumbled for her words with a smile.

"I keep telling him he needs to sleep more, but he just won't listen."

"Ah yeah. Men. Am I right?" Eden said, playing with a loose thread in her shawl. "Just can't live with them."

"Can't live without them though either." Lenalee said, that beautiful smile still on her beautiful face.

"Right." Sweet Mother Earth those eyes were like amethysts...Eden could look at them all day.

Lenalee adjusted her basket in her arm and then held out a few sprigs of lavender. "I know it's not much, but here."

Eden was blushing again as she fumbled for words. "Oh thanks! Yes, lavender is great. Love the smell. And the color. Purple I mean. Great color. Really just wonderful." She swore she heard Allen snickering behind the boulder.

Lenalee just chuckled. "It is a nice color. So is green."

Eden could have died right there.

"Well I really should get going, I have things to do." the amethyst eyed girl said. "I'm glad I caught you."

"Right. Me too." Eden said and waved as the girl of her dreams walked back down the beach. When she was gone, Eden glared at the boulder that hid the merman. "If you say one damn word…"

Allen peered out with a grin. "Who me? Psssssh I would never. But really, that's why I need legs."

"...Because of Lenalee?" Eden asked. She narrowed her eyes. "You-"

"No, not really her!" Allen cried, raising his hands in defense. "I mean...well…" he sighed. "...There's a guy…"

Eden blinked, and then a smirk spread across her face. "Ohhhhh...the Little Merman has a crush on a handsome prince~"

Allen pouted and Eden cackled, sounding every bit like the witch she was.

"I never thought I would see the day! Oh this is great!"

"When you're done celebrating, can we get back to my issue here?" Allen asked, deadpan.

Eden flicked her wrist at him. "Yeah yeah, you want a spell, I'm not stupid. However, you will have to wait; I don't know one off the top of my head."

"What?"

"Do I look like a walking book to you?" Eden rolled her eyes. "I'll go look for something, just stay put."

Allen sighed and leaned against the rock as the witch trekked back to her cottage.

XXX

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it was fun to write; feel free to leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

Eden came back a few hours later, a piece of paper in her hand. Allen was jolted awake by Tim, who had dutifully stayed with his friend.

"Right, there is a spell for what you need." Eden said.

"What," he paused to yawn. "...took so long?"

"I had to translate it." the witch replied. "Not everything is in English. But anyways, I'll need one of your scales for the spell." she had her eyes glued to the list and a hand outstretched, waiting for the shimmery scale.

Allen sighed. "Fine, hold on."

"Oh no, don't act like this is a chore for you, I'm the one doing this spell."

Allen braced himself to pluck a scale from his tail. He yelped as it came free and he tossed it to her. "That hurt…"

"All in the pursuit of love." Eden replied. "This will take me awhile, so go do whatever it is that you do. Come back here at sunset, it should be done then."  
Allen raised an eyebrow. "Why will it take so long?"

She looked at him. "I have to brew it and there are other ingredients. Why do you think I have a list?"

"Alright, alright I get it." Allen sighed, flopping back into the water. "Sunset, right?" he looked at the beach again but Eden was already gone.

XXX

"So you don't look nearly as excited about the festival tonight as you should." Lavi said, looking at his female friend.

Lenalee looked at him. "Did you say something?"

"See this is what I mean." Lavi said. "You're just...not here. And I'm not sure why."

"Mmm." Lenalee hummed, using her spoon to play with her ice cream. She had managed to drag Lavi out of the library for some time together, since her friend was mostly holed away with studying and cataloging. They were supposed to be talking about what they were going to do during the town's foundation festival that night, but Lenalee just couldn't focus.

Lavi watched her, scooping the last of his chocolate ice cream out of the old fashioned glass. "...I hear Komui is in charge of the fireworks."

"Mhm."

"Kanda is going to line-dance."

"That's nice."

"I heard that Johnny is going to compete in a pie eating contest."

"Uh huh."

"I think I'm going to jump up on stage and propose to Kanda. In front of everyone. I'll have a mariachi band playing."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Alright Lena, tell me-"

"I saw Eden today." she finally said, continuing to play with her ice cream. A bit of strawberry stuck to her spoon.

Lavi blinked. "Eden? You mean the witch who lives on the cliffs?"

"Yeah...she helped me out a couple weeks back when Komui was really sick and ended up allergic to the pills the doctor gave us." she sighed lightly. "I'd always seen her around but I'd never spoken to her before."

"I mean...that was nice of her," Lavi started. "but I'm not sure how that makes you so distracted…" Lavi himself had never really met the witch, what with always being squirreled away with dusty old tomes and things, but he had heard some things. She was rather foul-tempered, and preferred solitude, choosing to live in a little cottage on the cliffs. Many rough storms had come and gone, yet Eden's cottage was always mysteriously untouched by the wind and waves, leading the more superstitious and fearful people to avoid her entirely.

Lenalee sort of shrugged. "I was down by the cliffs today, you know, after picking the lavender along the Old Morris farm, and I saw her." she put her spoon down. "So I thought, why not? I get to chat with her, thank her for the medicine, we're all happy."

"So...what, did she brush you off?" Lavi asked.

"What? Oh no, the opposite." Lenalee replied. "She was jittery and kinda nervous…" she sighed in aggravation. "...Lavi I walked in on her and a guy."

Lavi stared at her for a minute, trying in vain to keep down a bark of laughter. Lenalee was steadily turning pink at the lack of reaction she was getting. She stabbed her spoon into what was left of the melted ice cream.

"I mean, she acted like she'd been caught and I definitely saw some guy in the water, but he hid behind a rock before I could get a good look at him."  
Lavi had to stuff his fist in his mouth.

"I don't know what I was trying at, trying to talk to her alone, it was just stupid." Lenalee said rather miserably. "She was probably so embarrassed...and I was dumb and tried to fl-compliment. Compliment her."

Lavi was no longer laughing at this point. "Lenalee...do you like her?"

The amethyst eyed girl seemed to shrink away from the table.

Now Lavi felt like an ass. "Oh...I didn't know-"

"I didn't tell you." she said. "I...I think I've hidden it pretty well, I'm not surprised...and it's not like she comes around a lot…"

"Do you know who she was with?"

Lenalee shook her head. "No, I didn't get a very good look, but I knew it was a man. I could tell by the shoulders."

Lavi tilted his head a bit. "How long have you liked her?"

Lenalee paused. "...Maybe two years? A little longer? I remember bumping into her one morning on the cliffs when I went to look for flowers. She...Lavi she was so pretty…" Lenalee blushed a little. "You should have seen her hair that day...and she's got the prettiest eyes…we didn't talk long, but she's so interesting. I've spent my life surrounded by machines and science, and she's always surrounded by plants and the ocean and..."

Lavi was smiling now. "You've got it bad, don't you?"

"Well there's no point now, is there?" Lenalee sighed. "She was seeing someone else."

XXX

"If you throw one more pebble at my house, I'm going to cook you into a stew." Eden snarled when she finally brought the potion to the impatient merman. "And boy do I love seafood."

Allen sighed as Timcanpy pecked at a rock nearby. "But it's been forever! You said sunset, and it's past that."

"It's been two hours."

_"Squaaaawk!"  
_  
"Not the point Tim."

Eden rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We need to discuss payment."

"Oh come on!"

"Oi, these ingredients were not easy to come by." Eden said. "And it's very simple really. The potion will last until…" she checked her watch. "It's around 7 right now, so it'll last until 7 tomorrow morning. That's as long as I could make it."

Allen nodded. He would have liked it to be longer but he couldn't exactly complain.

"So here's what I want. When the potion ends and the spell breaks, I would like you to find me a handful of pearls."

Allen raised a snowy brow. "...That's all?"

"That's all."

"You just want pearls?"

Eden rolled her eyes again. "Look, I obviously can't swim as well as you can, and it just seems like a win - win. Sound good?"

"That girl from earlier likes pearls, doesn't she?"

"DO YOU WANT THIS OR NOT?!"

Allen grinned at her obvious irritation. "It sounds too easy but sure, I'll do it."

Eden's anger faded and she smiled. She then handed him the murky teal colored potion. It was in a plain bottle with a cork stopper. "Hurry up and take it, there's a foundation festival tonight or something and I think it's time I mingle with the common folk."

XXX

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please let me know what you thought by leaving a review :)


	5. Chapter 5

Eden looked at the outfit with a critical eye. "Blue does seem to be your color...sorry I don't have any shoes, I never wear them."

Allen looked up at her. "I can't believe that you didn't realize that I would need human clothes after taking the potion."

"It just didn't cross my mind."

The former merman looked back into the mirror to once again survey the dress he was wearing. It had a low neckline, just below his shoulders, and it was as blue as the sky on a cloudless day. It was longer in the back, reaching his mid-calf, while in the front it was much shorter, going to just about his mid-thigh. The sleeves were short and kinda puffy, giving off a cute vibe. Overall, it went very nicely with Allen's white hair and silver eyes.

"You'll turn some heads, that's for sure." Eden grinned. "I prefer black though."

Allen smirked into the mirror. "And purple."

Eden twitched a little, and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Right. Well then let's head to town. How's walking?"

"Not as difficult as before." Allen replied. The change had been rather painful, with his tail splitting into two appendages, and walking had been an immense chore. With some practice he could make it across the room, though he still felt pins and needles.

Getting into the cottage in the first place had been something else entirely.

Eden turned, her skirt swirling about. "Good, because I have don't have much in the way of transportation." True to her word, she was also barefoot. Eden was wearing her trademark floor-length blood red skirt, paired with a black tank top. Multiple necklaces adorned her neck, all with some trinket or stone of some significance at the end. Her eyes were heavy with the black eyeliner again and she had in her favorite hoop earrings that dangled beneath her short, curly blonde hair.  
The two of them began the trek into town, with Timcanpy flying ahead of them, hoping to find people distracted from their food.

It looked like it was going to be a nice night for the festival, and Allen couldn't help but be excited and nervous. There would be so many humans there...and Lavi would be there too. That was exciting all by itself. "So…" Allen began, watching Timcanpy fly towards the town until he couldn't see the bird in the dark sky anymore. "...If you like her so much, why haven't you pursued her?"

Eden sighed and rolled her eyes. "Have you seen her? She's so far out of my league she's not even visible to me. That's how far away she is. But it doesn't matter. Most of the time I see her, she's with this guy." she paused a moment and then shook herself. "But enough about me! What about this prince of yours?" she grinned at Allen's frown.

"He's not a prince, I just met him along the rocks one day...he's handsome, he's interesting...and well he didn't run screaming and attract a huge crowd, so that's a plus."

Eden laughed.

"I'm serious, it's kind of important. I don't know what he does though; he's got an eyepatch, so I thought maybe some kind of piracy, but he's on land too much."  
"You would fall for a pirate."

"He's not a pirate, he just looks like one." Allen pouted. "I can't really explain it...I just...I feel pulled. I want to be with him…" he sighed. "I can't believe I'm telling you this…"

"It's a long walk. Keep talking."

XXX

The fireworks went off at 9, right on schedule. Thankfully Komui was not in charge of them, or else the show would have been far too...extravagant and probably would have somehow spelled out Lenalee's name. Instead the scientist was chatting with some of his peers while Lavi and Lenalee were watching the marvelous display. The whole town was lit up and decorated, and the band would start playing after the fireworks had ended. Lavi had tried to get Kanda to come, but he skulked off somewhere else. The red head took a deep breath, relishing in the wonderful smells of whatever Jerry was cooking over in his section of the festival. He would have to head over there soon before the rest of the crowd had similar ideas. Nothing beat Jerry's cooking after all.

"They look great!" Lenalee cheered as a red one exploded. "Whoever did it this year deserves props."

Lavi nodded in agreement as a gold one went off, followed by a light blue. "Didn't a shed catch on fire last year?"

"Pretty sure that happened, yeah." Lenalee chuckled. "It was still fun though, since no one was seriously hurt."

"Kanda threatened to knock me out! For no reason besides breathing in his direction!"

"First of all, Kanda always threatens to knock you out. Secondly, he never actually hit you. Thirdly, you weren't completely innocent, you braided his ponytail without permission."

Lavi pouted. "Well it's not like he would have given permission if I asked..."

His friend sighed and shook her head. "Lavi, one of these days you're going to get yourself into trouble."

Lavi winked. "Ah, but I'll get out of it~"

The amethyst eyed girl turned her head when she heard her brother call her. She could see him waving her over and sighed, though there was a fond smile on her face. "I'll be back Lavi, I heard Komui." she waved as she walked off towards her brother.

Lavi was left by himself as he watched the show. It really was impressive, and at the back of his mind he wondered if Allen was watching too. How would those iridescent scales look with the colorful lights bouncing off them? Probably stunning…

Lavi shook his head a bit. This was ridiculous, they weren't even the same species...and Bookman would have his head on a silver platter if he ever got wind of this 'crush'.

"Lavi, I found you!"

Lavi had to blink once, then twice before he was able to turn around and face the voice he had just heard. He _couldn't_ have heard right...right?

Apparently he did.

There was Allen, barefoot and in a dress - which he looked _gorgeous_ in - but most noticeably, he was standing. He was standing on land with two pale legs.

..._Legs_?

"...Allen?" Lavi asked, wondering if he was seeing things.

Allen smiled. "Surprised? Yeah I still sort of am too…it's strange having two instead of one."

Lavi took his arm and pulled him aside, out of the crowd of people still watching the fireworks display. "How did this happen?"

Allen faltered. "...Is this a problem?"

"No!" Lavi shouted, then immediately quieted and drew them both further away. "No it isn't, I just...never expected this." he smiled a bit. "But I am happy to see you."

The former merman's smile returned. "I had Eden help out; this is her sort of business after all."

Lavi tilted his head a bit. "The witch?" He was hearing more and more about her lately.

"Yes, that's her. I was discussing it with her earlier today by the cliffs."

Slowly, Lavi began to put two and two together. So then the mysterious man Lenalee had seen earlier...oh this was too perfect. He grinned. "Hey Allen, I would like you to meet a friend of mine tonight."

"I would really like to try some of your food too. I hear you humans have hot meals." Allen's eyes were as wide as clam shells. "That sounds fascinating."

Lavi couldn't help but laugh as he led Allen through the town to look for Lenalee.

XXX

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